BIBLIOGRAPHY
Title: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
Author and Illustrator: William Steig
Publisher: Windmill Books (1969), Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (1997), Little Simon (2012)
Publication Date: September 24, 1969
ISBN: 978-1442435605
PLOT SUMMARY
Sylvester Duncan is a young donkey who enjoys collecting pebbles of unusual shape and color. One day he finds an extraordinary pebble that is red, shiny, and perfectly round like a marble, and learns that it can grant wishes. Before returning home, he sees a lion, and in a panic wishes that he was a rock, making him unable to wish himself back to a donkey. A year later, his parents' picnic at the rock, unaware that it is their son. They see the pebble and, reminiscing how much their son loved unusual pebbles, place it on top of the rock, allowing Sylvester to wish himself back into a donkey.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The story presents Sylvester's childlike panic realistically; Steig lists all the things Sylvester could have wished for, had he not panicked and thought carefully. This moment serves as the conflict and central drama, as opposed to a moral. While not an explicitly stated moral of the story, children reading this might infer a lesson about not letting their emotions rule their choices in high-stress situations. Of course, though, that is a lesson that is easier said than done, even for adults.
The story seems to be longer than what is usually seen in picture books. While some pages have few one or two short sentences, others include long paragraphs. One of the pages alone has 93 words on it. The edition that was reviewed, the 1997 reprint, includes Steig's Caldecott Award acceptance speech for Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. In his speech, he jokes that his speech will not be as long as the book.
Steig's art style reflects the painterly styles often seen in children's picture books before the advent of computer graphic software. The art is illustrated in bright watercolors, with several details and embellishments, such as the flower patterns on Mrs. Duncan's china on the first page, and the patterns on her dresses throughout the book.
The endpapers of this edition states that the artwork is color corrected to accurately mirror Steig's watercolor originals. While the original 1969 edition was unavailable for review, a brief internet search provided a few pages from the original, allowing comparison between the two. The 1997 reprint is a vast improvement; the colors are bright, rather than mute, and being able to compare the two allows one to appreciate Steig's mastery of watercolors. A notably unforgiving and unpredictable medium, watercolors are not like acrylics or oils; if a mistake is made with the latter, the artist can paint over it, but such is not the case with watercolors. It is astounding that Steig managed such precise details when watercolors are so difficult to control.
Young children may not recognize how sad the plot is from the perspective of Sylvester's parents, but parents reading to their children will recognize that sadness. If this is not a classic picture book the parent grew up with, they might struggle to consider keeping this book for their child's own collection. What could be more tragic and horrible than losing a child and not knowing what happened to them?
AWARDS
1978 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
1970 Caldecott Medal
1970 National Book Award for Young People's Literature finalist
REVIEW EXCERPTS
"...if you're not moved by Sylvester's predicament, by the lion's bewilderment, by the mood forlorn and joyous, if you don't take to the logical, easy stance of the animal friends... if you don't appreciate the fair beauty of Steig's landscapes, well, then one will know for sure who's the donkey." - The New York Times
CONNECTIONS
Related books:
Steig, W. (2008.) Shrek! New York, NY: Square Fish Books.
ISBN: 978-0312384494
Steig, W. (2009). Amor & Boris. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
ISBN: 978-0312535667
Steig, W. (2010). Doctor De Soto. New York, NY: Square Fish Books.
ISBN: 978-0312611897
Steig, W. (2011). Brave Irene. New York, NY: Square Fish Books.
ISBN: 978-0312564223
Steig, W. (2011). The Amazing Bone. New York, NY: Square Fish Books.
ISBN: 978-0312564216
No comments:
Post a Comment